Holiday tables reflect individual preferences

Published 12:00 am Sunday, December 20, 2009

Christmas is one of the busiest times of year, so decorating homes, inside and out, is just part of the hustle and bustle that comes with it.

Back in the early Colonial days, Christmas festivities were limited to dinner, dancing, some evergreens and visiting with family and friends. Most of our current customs come from an array of inspirations from the 19th century.

The Victorian Era (1837-1901) saw the rise of science, influence of wealth and the use of table flowers, said Jim Del Prince, one of the presenters at the October 2009 Landscape Symposium at Mississippi State University.

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Today, a floral centerpiece is an integral part of most celebrations including holiday parties and Christmas dinner. If planning a table arrangement for the holidays is still on your to-do list, some of these ideas may be helpful.

Miriam Jabour, a Master Gardener and Master Flower Show judge, has been active in the Openwood Plantation Garden Club for more than 35 years. Write to her at 1114 Windy Lake Drive, Vicksburg, MS 39183.

Go green. Traditional greenery from your garden is always in fashion.

Ralph Null said during his presentation at the 75th anniversary of the floral department at MSU in November, “We have an abundance of materials around us every day that we just take for granted.”

Pine, cedar, magnolia, holly, boxwood, pittosporium, yew, cleyera are some that will last throughout the season if properly conditioned. Other shrubs that might not readily be associated with holiday designs but can be worked in with more traditional materials include acuba, aspidistra (Cast Iron Plant), cattails, horsetail rush, iris foliage, yucca, azalea, camellia, ivy, laurel, ligustrum, photinia and viburnum.

Garden greens can be enhanced by adding fruit, nuts, berries and seedpods collected from Bradford pear, holly, nandina, privet, sumac, crepe myrtle, pines and lotus. These bring texture and color to even the simplest of arrangements, particularly when a bright ribbon or bow is included. 

Add sparkle and glitz with such metalics as silver, copper and gold. Silver is particularly popular this year. Simple silver containers can be filled with greenery, white roses, hydrangeas, amaryllis blooms or small topiaries of rosemary or boxwood to enhance a dining room table, mantle or sideboard. They can stand alone or be nestled into a bed of greenery. Bare branches and pinecones sprayed with metallic paint and glitter or ribbons containing metallic threads can add sparkle to a table or decoration. Insert several metallic ornaments into centerpieces for a more festive touch.

According to Null, during periods of recession more items are glittered than during periods of growth and prosperity.

Clear and airy is a big 2009 trend, according to ChristmasWorld. Transparency, soft pastels, whites, creams and blurred motifs featuring groupings of glass vases, bottles, baubles, crystal, twinkle lights and bare branches can be used to create a memorable table. Del Prince designed a winter wonderland tablescape at the MSU Symposium with these elements and entertained those attending with a story about the midnight acquisition of his bare branches from an overgrown yard near the campus.

Think white. With a white emphasis, you can create a décor that is sophisticated, quiet, uncluttered and refined. White amaryllis, tulips, roses, paperwhite narcissus, poinsettias, carnations, chrysanthemums, orchids and cyclamen work well with mirrors, glittery reindeer or other holiday figurines, and deep green foliage. Accent with silver and pale blue to carry this holiday decor well into January.

Individuality, originality and creativity are the key words for holiday décor in 2009, according to Flowers By Design, in a holiday newsletter. Take what you have and combine things in a new way to achieve a new look. It does not have to be expensive or intricate.

Master Gardener Joelyn James used an inverted tomato cage trimmed in garland with a large bright red bow at the top for the centerpiece at the MG Christmas party.  The idea came from something that she saw in the Christmas issue of Mississippi Magazine. She gathered the metal ends together with a rubber band to create a cone shaped structure and clipped garland on it with small alligator clips. James was interested in another tomato cage idea mentioned in the article: a tree made from magnolia leaves sprayed with gold or silver paint.

The article said to secure the legs together to create the top of a cone shape, and then add rows of leaves. Each new row overlaps the previously attached one until the form is covered in leaves. A bow or ornament can be added at the top.

Someone found a new way to use something ordinary in a creative way. Give your imagination the opportunity to try something new with your holiday table. You might be surprised and pleased by your own creativity.